Tango01 | 05 Feb 2016 3:09 p.m. PST |
"Turkish prime minister says tens of thousands being pushed towards border as world gathers to raise billions for refugees. Increasingly intensive Russian airstrikes are pushing tens of thousands of Syrians from the city of Aleppo towards the Turkish border, Turkey's prime minister, Ahmet Davutošlu has said, predicting a fresh exodus even as Europe struggles to respond to the existing refugee crisis. After a week of the most intensive bombardment of the five-year war, opposition forces in northern Syria say they are losing their grip on Aleppo, with forces loyal to the Syrian leader, Bashar al-Assad, in control of most of the countryside immediately to the north. Davutošlu said up to 70,000 people were fleeing the area, and the city was threatened with a "siege of starvation"…" Full article here link Amicalement Armand |
Legion 4 | 05 Feb 2016 3:39 p.m. PST |
No surprise … once again, the big loser is the Syrian people. But Putin is there to keep his little buddy Assad in power. More death and destruction to follow. Regardless … Sooner or later the Syrians with heavy Russian support will have to go after Daesh and AQ. |
15mm and 28mm Fanatik | 05 Feb 2016 3:57 p.m. PST |
Turkey has to stem the tide of refugees crossing into Turkey brought about by recent joint Syrian-Russian-Iranian operations. This could get ugly. |
Legion 4 | 06 Feb 2016 9:52 a.m. PST |
I'd be surprised if it isn't … |
Tango01 | 06 Feb 2016 10:40 a.m. PST |
Me too…! Amicalement Armand |
Noble713 | 06 Feb 2016 12:33 p.m. PST |
Increasingly intensive Russian airstrikes are pushing tens of thousands of Syrians from the city of Aleppo Is it really the airstrikes? Or did they realize that "their side", aka the Sunni insurgents, weren't winning anymore and it was time to get out of Dodge? Doesn't seem like people were fleeing the recently-liberated Shia towns of Nubul and Zahraa. Besieged towns that were kept supplied by the Syrian military airdropping food: ( link ) |
ITALWARS | 06 Feb 2016 12:34 p.m. PST |
let me understand please….Sirian people is escaping from a city owned by ISIS terrs, executioners and rapist and in the eve to be freed by their Government troops backed by the only European country that answered to their desperate request of help? |
Legion 4 | 06 Feb 2016 3:23 p.m. PST |
A bit simplistic … but generally accurate I'd say. In a broad way … kind'a … |
Bangorstu | 07 Feb 2016 3:08 a.m. PST |
Aleppo isn't controleld by ISIS though… it's controlled by the FSA. Now the Russians don't distinguish between the two, but I think it obvious that its the air strikes that have caused this crisis because Aleppo has been a place for internally displace dpeople to flee to. |
Oh Bugger | 07 Feb 2016 5:41 a.m. PST |
I have seen no evidence to support internally displaced people fleeing to Allepo and as to the highly transferable label FSA I'm minded of what Joe Biden said "There are no moderates". Interestingly the Russians have taken to saying the FSA is fighting for them. Clearly the term can mean whatever the user finds convenient. The refugees from Allepo who have been interviewed speak of increasingly frantic Jihadis shaving their beards and putting on Western clothes. Make of that what you will. The Jihadis control one road into Allepo and once that is cut it will fall. |
Bangorstu | 07 Feb 2016 6:02 a.m. PST |
As the FSA are an umbrella group of lots of factions, the Russians could be right. I've done some digging – Aleppo isn't controlled by one group of people but split between the FSA, al-Nusra (who will be the jihadis) and the Kurds. If the Syrian government uses its usual tactic of siege, this will get grim very quickly. But if Aleppo falls, that's game over for the FSA I think. |
Oh Bugger | 07 Feb 2016 6:37 a.m. PST |
I dunno about that its hard to kill a label of such obvious utility to so many but certainly it will be the begining of the end for the Jihadis. |
Legion 4 | 07 Feb 2016 9:06 a.m. PST |
Basically, the Russians target anyone who is not Assad's troops, Hezbollah and the Persians … did I miss anyone ? But Russian air strikes, etc., primarily target the anti-Assad forces like the withering FSA types. But I'm sure some others like Daesh may have been hit as well. May just have been CD ? |
Oh Bugger | 07 Feb 2016 9:51 a.m. PST |
Basically, the Russians target anyone who is not Assad's troops, Hezbollah and the Persians … and the Kurds. |
Legion 4 | 07 Feb 2016 10:03 a.m. PST |
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Oh Bugger | 07 Feb 2016 6:35 p.m. PST |
Here is Fisk a reliable journo on that part of the world giving his view. link |
Legion 4 | 08 Feb 2016 7:56 a.m. PST |
Well as many have said, and I agree. Raqqa is Daesh's center of gravity, their "capital". If the Syrians w/Russian support takes it. Daesh, may be in trouble. With the Syrians/Russians going after Daesh and doing it effectively, could be a game changer. As I said sooner or later, Daesh and AQ must be removed from Syria. And in theory, that should affect Daesh in Iraq. And maybe a weakened Daesh can be eradicated from there as well. The Iraqis with all the support they have from the US/NATO and Iran. May be able to clear up Daesh once Raqqa is in Syrian control. With Mosul continuing to be a primary objective in Iraq. Plus if Daesh starts losing ground, like Raqqa falling to the Syrians/Russians. This probably will effect their online recruiting efforts. The next thing to consider is will Daesh shift to Libya ? Well IMO, if Deash suffers large losses in Syria and possibly Iraq. They may find it hard to actually move their "remaining" force to Libya. Plus how would they physically do that ? They don't have ships to transport them. And if they did. They'd be sunk by a number of navies and aircraft in the Med. How many can they infiltrate overland ? Few, IMO. Plus IMO it is paramount to take out Baghdadi and his male heirs. As they supposedly are related to the "Prophet". If I understand it correctly ? Their loss in a ["bloody way"], would certainly effect Daesh's moral. And their e-recruiting efforts. So it looks like to me. The Syrians, Russians, Hezbollah, Persians, Iraqis, Kurds, US/NATO, Arabs, moslems, etc., have a lot of work to do … Or as they say in the Movies … "They have a lot of killing to do. " |
Oh Bugger | 08 Feb 2016 9:31 a.m. PST |
ISIL HQ has been in Libya since the Russians heavily bombed Raqqa a couple of months ago. I'd say their 5000 fighters in Libya are significantly comprised of ISIL foreign fighters from Syria plus new recruits. If I'm correct the logistics have been well handled probably by moving in smallish numbers over many weeks. Its worth remembering that ISIS came out of AQ but had the edge in terms of financial backing and so could pay regular and good wages. In reality many must move between Jihadi factions to secure the best deal in terms of money or power or ideology. Any how the Russians wrecked ISIL's oil business and that caused a wage cut and the bombing of Raqqa took out crucial armament and other supplies. I would have thought Libya is now the attractive option for them. |
Legion 4 | 09 Feb 2016 9:58 a.m. PST |
I would have thought Libya is now the attractive option for them. Not yet it appears … but certainly looks like it could/will be another front on the war with Daesh/islamic terrorism … But again, most of Daesh will have to be recruited from the locals, it appears to me. |
Oh Bugger | 09 Feb 2016 3:34 p.m. PST |
I wonder about that. Firstly the Jihadis like using outsiders for obvious reasons no local ties or loyalties, easier to control and expendable. In Libya that will be mainly Tunisians plus cadre from Syria. That said if the talks in Sirte between ISIL ex Iraqi military leaders and former Gadaffi military leaders go well then ISIL will have its locals. Its an odd one both were secularist in ME terms but the Iraqi ones are seeing their future as Jihadis and the Libyans could follow them – hard to believe its anything other than pragmatic- they had power and want it back. |
Legion 4 | 11 Feb 2016 9:21 a.m. PST |
We'll have to wait and see, IMO. Just like in A'stan, Deash is attempting to open up a franchise there are well. Along with AQ … However, it appears to me the Taliban are not ones to share. Especially as it is clear they appear to be "winning". And the ANA/ANP probably won't fare any better against Daesh and/or AQ. And the Libyans don't seem to have that large of a jihadi movement as of yet. Compared to the Taliban anyway. |
Oh Bugger | 12 Feb 2016 5:49 p.m. PST |
Peter Obourne an interesting conservative journalist has been to Aleppo. Here is his report I cannot fault it. link |